


Hot Cats and Pointy Hats

by Barely_Meeting_Expectations



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Aged-Up Frisk (Undertale), Agender Character, Agender Frisk (Undertale), Author Is Sleep Deprived, College, Eventual Relationships, Fluff and Angst, Frisk constantly changes timeline, Frisk is just trying to get the best possible ending here come on guys, Frisk isn't mute in this work, Gen, Humans are wary of monsters and now monsters and humans are wary of mages so thats great, Mettaton EX (Undertale), Mild Language, Monsters, Monsters vs mages vs humans, Mt. Ebott (Undertale), Multi, Not necessarily a College AU but I mean you do you my guy, Original Character(s), Other, Post-Undertale Pacifist Route, Reader-Insert, Slow Build, Spoilers, This Is STUPID, Undertale Monsters on the Surface, Verbal Frisk (Undertale), mild violence, obviously, potentially
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-01
Updated: 2019-03-06
Packaged: 2019-10-01 23:33:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17253464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Barely_Meeting_Expectations/pseuds/Barely_Meeting_Expectations
Summary: Ten years have passed since monsters were freed from the underground and Frisk has since enrolled into the local university, where they and their roommate, Carter, have been inseparable since their first semester together. Toriel and the other monsters are ecstatic that Frisk seems to have made a friend while off at college.Everyone but Sans. Who despised Frisk’s new friend. For a multitude of reasons. In fact, he wrote a list.(Or, in which Frisk is hellbent on mending the rift between mages and monsters, and they have to start somewhere, right?)(Slooow burn - eventual Sans/OC. Eventually. Probably? Maybe. I haven’t decided yet. Can be interpreted as a reader insert but character is named and given physical attributes - I just hate writing from the point of view of the reader lmao)





	1. Prologue - It's the Shirt.

“You’re half an hour late.” Dean Brimhall stated bluntly, crossing her arms and shooting the slowly approaching student a begrudging glare. She’d been waiting impatiently beside the entrance of the dormitories for a while now, and was gradually becoming frustrated with how nonchalant they appeared to have been waltzing up to her.

“Whoops.” They responded absentmindedly. Without batting an eye, the new student casually puffed the cigarette perched between their lips and proceeded to blow the smoke directly in the face of a young girl that was casually walking by to her next class, and then let out a hearty laugh as she coughed and began walking faster.

Upon seeing this, the dean let out a heavy sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose.

Although Dean Brimhall had yet to meet this new transfer student, she’d seen this type before - their test results always indicated such promise, while their stereotypical ‘I don’t give a shit’ attitude immediately squandered any potential they had. There were too many students attending this university that knew they were smarter than the rest, and seized the opportunity to show others how much they didn’t care. Whether it was demonstrated via blatant defiance, or actively disrupting classes, Dean Brimhall could never wrap her head around their self-centered mentality. Especially this one.

Tristan Carter. Far from the first student to be seen putting on a rebellious show on their first day here, and they most likely wouldn’t be the last. The student in question could be described as nothing short of a disgruntled, apathetic, and underachieving mess.

Their frizzy, unbrushed black hair shot out every which way beneath their chullo beanie, and their grey funnel neck hoodie was littered with pet hair and miscellaneous pieces of fuzz. Their baggy denim jeans looked like they haven’t been washed for a good couple of weeks, and their muddied sneakers left a fine trail of dried dirt with every step they took. They reeked of cigarette smoke and an overpowering body spray, and despite their short height, their bold, confident stature demanded attention.

Carters shifty green eyes darted between the students as they congregated throughout the halls, and Dean Brimhall could see the faint remnants of a bruise beneath one of their eyes, masked by cheap concealer and a couple of stray freckles. Their chapped lips let out a sigh as they took another deep drag from their cigarette, in front of Dean Brimhall herself. Directly beside the “No Smoking” sign. Without a care in the world.

Had the ambassador of monsters themselves not explicitly requested to be roomed with this nightmare of a student, Dean Brimhall would have happily had security escort Carter off the grounds by now. See, she’d had plenty of experience handling “problem children” and “cool kids” and what have you, and she’d grown tired of repeatedly giving chances just to have them thrown out the window. But Frisk was adamant that Carter attend Ebott University - and their caretakers paid a handsome sum of money to ensure their enrollment, claiming that if their own child saw anybody worth giving a second chance to (Carter or otherwise), they would bend over backward to ensure it was given.

It was such a shame that those with the most talent always seemed to be the ones with the least drive. Likewise, it was equally a shame that those with the least drive always seemed to have their paths paved by somebody else.

With her gaze fixed firmly on Carter’s blank expression, Dean Brimhall plucked the cigarette from their hands and dropped it onto the concrete, firmly stomping it out while maintaining eye contact. They were briefly startled, but before they could let out so much as a “Hey!”, the dean spoke authoritatively.

“I hope you understand that your attendance at this school is a __privilege__ , Carter. Smoking is prohibited on the grounds.”

“But we’re outside-”

“And if I hear that you’re late arriving to your classes like you were late arriving here, you will answer to me. Being given a scholarship does not mean you may come and go as you please. You are not above consequences. Do I make myself clear?”

Dean Brimhall could see a flash of anger overcome Carter’s face, but just as fast as it had shined through, it had reverted back to their expressionless gaze.

“...Yeah. Got it.”

“Good. Come along then, your roommate has been waiting to meet you, and you’ve kept them waiting long enough.”

* * *

 The two of them walked through the winding halls of the bustling school building, mostly with tense and uncomfortable silence, until the dean grew tired of hearing Carter sigh and tried instigating a conversation. 

“Your roommate is quite well-known throughout these parts, you know.” She began with a lighter tone of voice than before, “In the Ebott area, I mean. So I highly recommend you show them respect where it’s due. Lord knows they deserve it.”

Carter chuckled, as if the very thought of it was, in and of itself, a joke.

“Alright, whatever you say.”

“Have you had roommates before, Carter?”

The student shrugged and waited a couple of seconds to respond.

“Mmm. Nah. Don’t get along with a lot of people, to be honest. But I think you already knew that, huh?”

The dean stifled a laugh and shot Carter a knowing gaze as they waited for the elevator.

“Well, I’ve dealt with students like you before. But I also know that people are products of their environment. What kind of instructor would I be to decline opportunities to those who don’t even realize their full potential yet?”

Carter glanced up at the dean with a slightly surprised expression, before quickly brushing it off and looking elsewhere.

“Nonetheless, while I could see how you aren’t a __people person__ , I can say, without a doubt… you and your roommate will get along just fine.”

The elevator binged and the doors opened, unleashing a sea of monster and human adolescents scuttling about to their next classes.

“Really? And how can you be so sure? You sound pretty confident.” Carter inquired, following Dean Brimhall into the elevator and shooting her a questioning stare as she pressed the third floor button.

“Oh, I’ve known them for quite some time. They’re one of the kindest students here, I’ll bet.”

“ _ _They__?” Carter’s gaze shot up to the calm smirk on Dean Brimhall’s face.

“Yes. They use neutral pronouns, just as you do. I feel that is part of the reason why you’ll get along.”

“... Huh. Well how about that?”

“And you know, their parents are the ones who offered to pay for your scholarship.”

“Heh, you weren’t s-”

“I’m supposed to keep donors anonymous, I know. But they were just as impressed by your scores as I was. And I feel like, knowing your roommate helped you get here in the first place… maybe you’ll think a little harder about your actions.”

The elevator dinged again, and the doors once more slid open to reveal a cozy looking hallway, thoroughly decorated with bright yellow flowers and many, many windows.

Carter slid out of the elevator and glared up at the monsters who tried to shimmy around them, before Dean Brimhall redirected their attention to one of the dormitories.

The letters “Room 12-C” were engraved into the door, and beneath it hung a miniature whiteboard covered with strange tacky drawings. Carter had to squint to make it all out. Someone had drawn an incredibly anime-esque version of what looked like a sea monster coddling a dinosaur. Crude drawings of bones, spears, and hearts bearing cat ears carefully bordered the well-used board. And in the middle, there was a paragraph of text written out painstakingly carefully.

 

***according to all known laws of aviation, there is no way a bee should be able to fly…**

 

Carter grimaced and faced Dean Brimhall with a mixed look of amusement and disappointment on their face.

“Eugh, whose room is __this__?”

“Well, this is your room.”

“... You’re kidding.”

“Carter.”

“You’re not kidding.”

“I’ll have security finish bringing up the rest of your things from the taxi. Best of luck, and try to remember why you’re here.”

And with that, Dean Brimhall turned, fully prepared to walk back onto the elevator and back down to the parking lot, before she took a deep breath and turned back around. She wasn’t surprised to see Carter still standing there, staring at her with an emotionless expression.

“Carter… I just want you to know, although you were exceptionally late, and although you broke rules on premises in front of me with absolutely no regard for those around you,”

The dean placed a firm hand on Carter’s slumped shoulder.

“Handful or not, I can tell that you’re one of the brighter students I’ll be honored to have attend here, and I am glad to have you as a student at my university. Those donors saw something special in you when they offered to support your academic endeavors, you know. I’m certain that I’ll be seeing great things from you. Just… try to apply those smarts of yours outside of class as well, yeah?”

* * *

 Carter stood in place for a full minute after Dean Brimhall had left, unsure what to do with the unexpected praise hanging in the air. The students hastily rushing through the halls spared Carter a few suspicious and concerned glances before carrying on with their day.

After a few more quiet moments of processing her words, Carter hastily shook their head and clenched their fists anxiously.

“Okay. You’re bunking with a nerdy meme-lord. That’s okay. Better than a jock or a slutty cheerleader, right?”

With a heavy sigh, Carter thrust open the door, and immediately forgot everything the dean had said prior.

“Holy shit.”

The roommate seated at their desk swiveled around in their chair and immediately shot Carter a gentle, welcoming smile. Their bobbed brown hair bounced with them as they stood, and their bright striped turtleneck matched the colorful mirage of posters and tapestries strewn across the walls. The familiar twinkle in their eye made Carter feel as though they’d known each other for years, although they couldn’t tell you why.

The roommate stretched their hand out and began introducing themselves, their soft-spoken voice being quickly cut off by Carter’s abrupt exclamation.

“Hey, it’s great to finally meet you! I’m-”

“Jesus Christ.”

“Uh, not quite.”

“Holy __shit__ , you’re…”

“Haha, hey, you’re not too bad yourself,” Frisk replied, shooting Carter a wink and a finger gun before giggling ecstatically. “But uh anyways, my name’s-”

“I know who you are, __dipshit__! Everyone knows who you are! Shit, nobody told me I was rooming with the fucking __ambassador of monsters__!”

Frisk blushed and shook their head dismissively.

“Heh, it’s not __that__ big of a deal, it’s just a title. But my mom forbids me from doing anything until after I graduate. I-it was a big thing when I was younger, but I figured that would be old news by now, heh. I’m actually surprised you recognized me so fast. It was the shirt, huh?”

And this, Carter realized much later on, would have been the perfect time to have told Frisk the truth.

Not that Carter had been lying, by any means, but they could have effortlessly told them, right out the door, “I feel like we already know each other”, or “I can’t help but to feel as though we’re already best friends”, or better yet, “Your soul gives off such positive energy, I can practically feel your determination to be my friend radiating in waves, and it’s riveting.” It would have made the next couple of chapters in their life a lot smoother.

But just as Frisk expected, they simply smirked and played along. It was like Carter to beat around the bush, Frisk came to learn.

Which was fine, because Frisk had done this song and dance before.

 

“Heheh, yeah. It’s the shirt.”


	2. "You're My Friend."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carter suddenly stood up straighter, flicking the lit cigarette out the window before aggressively stomping towards Frisk with new resolve, approaching them with a predatory glint in their eye.  
> “You know exactly what I am, don’t you?”

When Carter finally heard back from Ebott University, they thought they’d have been happier to hear the news.

They’d already braced themselves for another rejection letter to add to the steadily growing pile of disappointment and failure, accompanied by another long-winded, “The study of magic has not yet been approved nor is it accepted for qualifying credits in our area” spiel. Despite having monsters and magic integrate themselves into daily life for nearly ten years now, humans were quite hesitant to wrap their minds around it, much less acknowledge it in a positive manner. And even though there were a small handful of universities that happily accepted and promoted magic studies, they were outrageously selective and expensive. In the end Carter still ended up being rejected, regardless of their test scores and their extensive writings on magic.

So when Carter did get the acceptance call and felt a twinge of frustration and reluctant acceptance rather than the urge to set their hometown on fire, it was a bit of a shock.

This wasn’t the plan, they'd told themselves on the entire trip to Ebott. This was never the plan. Carter had no desire to return to school or to consort with the self-centered, snot-nosed, sniveling students that said schools guaranteed to have in tow. However, living in a small town where everyone knows your name when you practically had a bounty over your head wasn’t the safest or smartest alternative. Carter could be pretty daft, but even they knew this much.

In an effort to regain a sense of normalcy, Carter started putting in for schools, preferably to be accepted by one that wasn't insanely pricey and one that was far, far, far away. Teenagers dropping everything to go to college was fairly normal, right? They wouldn't be bombarded with questions regarding their past if school appeared to be their top priority, right? With how preachy their previous instructors were in regards to college attendance, Carter could only assume this to be true. Unfortunately, Carter didn't “excel” in many academics, and certainly didn't play any sports well enough to be taken in based on their performance alone. The only thing Carter was marginally interested and well-versed in was magic and soul theory.

It was hard to not know about these things as someone in their current disposition. It kind of came with the territory of being “a devil-worshipping, sin-riddled husk of an abomination”, as one protester delicately put it. And if ever given the chance, they would happily drop any and everything regarding magic if it promised them the opportunity to live a semi-normal life. Although, Carter was just glad that they could use their “smarts” as an excuse to get shipped off to a school. Their enemies wouldn't think to look there, Carter told themselves. They just had to keep their head down, keep their true nature away from prying eyes, fake it ‘till they made it. This could work out - Ebott appeared to be a large bustling city, full of monsters and humans alike. Yeah, this could work out.

It took an obscene amount of effort to keep themselves from clocking Dean Brimhall in the jaw when the two first met. Sure, Carter had been told that they ought to be incredibly grateful, seeing that two complete strangers read their thesis and then immediately threw down thousands of dollars just to get them enrolled.

(Which Carter couldn't help to find as… odd. They were thankful for an out, sure, but everything covered in their thesis was basic knowledge, wasn't it? So what was all this fuss about staying with a particular roommate? And what was with their insistence to get there as soon as possible? It seemed pretty shady, but Carter was pretty desperate, so they took it with a grain of salt. Something they’d end up regretting later.)

Being the confrontational individual who was naturally inclined to fighting, though, it was hard to think clearly about their actions until well after the damage had already been done.

Their first meeting with the dean wasn't too bad, though. Despite Carter not knowing what to do when presented with praise and kind words, they could say with some semblance of confidence that Dean Brimhall wasn't nearly as stern as she acted. And none of the students looked like they’d be too much trouble, should they even think about crossing their path.

Despite this, Carter kept their guard up. They’d seen a few anti-magic advocacy groups, though the members were few and far between. They also had the pleasure of witnessing a rather alarming amount of altercations that didn’t even need Carter in the equation to become full-on physical fights. This was only a problem to them because only Carter, as far as they were concerned, had the right to flaunt their ineptitude and violent tendencies so carelessly.

Whatever. They’d establish themselves as the spark-plug of this school soon enough.

That is, if their sketchy Cinnabun of a roommate wouldn’t keep talking them out of it. 

* * *

 

Roughly two and a half months have passed since Carter first arrived at Ebott University, and while they weren’t expecting Frisk to be unapproachable by any means, it struck them as odd how much they seemed to hit it off. In that short amount of time, the two had become quite close - occasionally staying up all night just talking about random, meaningless subjects until the sun came up. When they weren’t distracting each other during class, they were pulling harmless pranks on the neighboring students (although much to Carter’s dismay, Frisk regularly vetoed their pranks on the basis that they weren’t harmless, and bad ideas all the way around).

Frisk was busying themselves by juggling miscellaneous extracurricular activities and studying to no end. Whereas Carter often preoccupied themselves by playing video games, and seeing if they could manage to spit on peoples heads as they passed beneath their dormitory window.

Carter felt as if they could be themselves around Frisk.

Not that they ever would. Carter had made it too far to blow their cover now.

“So, how do you feel about it? The whole _magic_ thing, I mean.”

Frisk glanced up from their textbook with a curious expression, urging Carter to continue.

Carter, quickly realizing how offense could be taken in asking the savior of monsterkind how they felt about being around magic, haphazardly backtracked. They shoved their clammy hands into their pockets and casually leaned against the wall in an attempt to look unbothered.

“I-I mean, when I was a little kid, had you told me magic had existed this whole time? I’d freak out, honestly.” The lie fell out of their mouth smoothly, and Carter had to clear their throat nervously before pressing on.

“But uh, seems like you took it in stride. Not a lot of people would. So uh, why is that? It doesn’t... concern you, in the slightest?”

Frisk hummed in thought. They placed their elaborately decorated bookmark between the pages and gently closed their book shut, and they spoke as though they’ve rehearsed the words.

“Well…” Frisk started, spinning around to face their obviously nerve-wracked roommate.

“A part of me likes to think it’s just because I’m open-minded. I don’t mean to toot my own horn, but you’re right - not a lot of people are accepting of it, or understand it. Heck, some people even today still don’t associate themselves with monsters.

“But another part of me likes to think that… I already knew it was there in the first place. Don’t get me wrong, it threw me for a loop when I first fell into the Underground. But magic comes naturally to some people, and if we try to alienate or punish them for it, what good does that do? You can’t hate someone for being who they are, you know? Otherwise, what does that make you?”

Carter slowly nodded in response and eyed Frisk as they barely contained a chuckle.

_Frisk could see it clear as day, Carter was carefully calculating the risk of coming clean and telling Frisk what they already knew._

_But, Frisk had yet to recall to a save point and have Carter say it aloud themselves. No, Carter always had to do things the hard way._

_Not that Frisk minded this at all. It kind of reminded Frisk of their own nature somehow. And Carter barricading the truth always remained a constant._

_Hopefully, that wouldn’t be the case this time around._

“Heh,” Carter chuckled lightheartedly, suddenly uncomfortable at the growing silence between the two, “I bet the debate team is ecstatic to have you around.”

Frisk blushed at Carter’s version of a compliment and shrugged, and Carter felt as though Frisk knew they were just trying to change the subject.

Luckily their mysterious roommate took the bait. Frisk twiddled their thumbs in thought as they began talking.

“Yeah, the debate team’s pretty fun. But you know, when I was younger, I didn’t speak at all. I was a pretty quiet kid. And the cool thing about magic is that you don’t necessarily have to say anything to be understood. I got through the entire Underground without saying a word because everyone could feel my intent.”

“Well, I wouldn’t mind a quiet roomie. But I gotta say, I’m glad that you’re more talkative now. You’d be pretty screwed if you got stuck with me and I had no idea what you were trying to say, haha.”

Frisk's sly smirk tugged at their lips again.

“Well, I don’t know about that.”

_Frisk felt Carter’s tentative gaze land on them before looking up. While Frisk reveled in the idea that they knew more than they’d let on, they didn’t want to risk scaring Carter away too fast._

Frisk briskly swiveled around and spoke once more.

“Another cool thing about spending so much time around monsters is that you can read people more easily. You can see the good in people easier, I suppose. And I could tell when we met that you aren’t the big bad bully you set yourself out to be. Maybe it’s true to an extent, but… we definitely still would have been friends. I can feel it.”

_And Frisk knew this to be true. One of the first times they played this run, they’d spent it in complete silence, much to the dismay of Toriel. Funny enough, people tended to be more open with those who withheld judgment. So Frisk had actually learned more about Carter in that single run than any other run so far._

_****“The one time I refused to FIGHT, I lost everything. I’m never making that mistake again.”** ** _

_But then Frisk introduced Carter to their uncles, and Carter’s big mouth and their trigger-happy resort to violence…_

_Trial and error, Frisk. Trial and error._

Before Carter could ask exactly what they meant by that, a loud knocking interrupted their train of thought.

“... D’you got debate today, kid?” Carter asked, to which Frisk sighed and shook their head no.

“No, and also, we’re the same age?”

Carter promptly ignored this remark and they huffed before dramatically pushing themselves off the wall and yanking the door open aggressively.

“What.” Carter spat.

Dean Brimhall stood before them, another teacher in tow, with her arms crossed in her usual fashion, and with a displeased scowl scribbled across her face.

“We need to talk.” 

* * *

 

Carter wasn’t an idiot. A bit of an asshole? Yeah. Could be kind of daft sometimes? Sure. Refused to pay attention to someone if they couldn’t bring themselves to care? Definitely. But Carter wasn’t an idiot.

They knew that there would be repercussions for the fights they got in. Even if Frisk sometimes managed to talk them down from a fight, a few still slipped between the cracks.

… Well, maybe more than a “few”. Carter had since lost count of how many altercations had unfolded since enrolling in Ebott University, and quite frankly, they didn’t care. A couple of bloody noses here, a few black eyes there, it honestly wasn’t as big a deal as the dean was making it. Some people just needed to be put in their place, and that was that.

Perhaps, Carter thought bitterly, rather than punish those who fought, Dean Brimhall ought to consider punishing those who instigated them in the first place.

The first time Carter threw a punch at school, it was a… one could call it a minor miscalculation, the first and last of its kind. One of the taller male students had walked by them and accidentally nudged their shoulder, and then acted as if nothing happened.

Carter wouldn’t go so far as to say they were itching for a fight, but they’d be lying if the statement didn’t hold at least some truth.

“Hey, watch where the fuck you’re going, asshole.” Carter said venomously.

And the look on his face was all it took.

Carter threw the first punch - they adamantly refused to back down from a challenge.

All it takes is one time, after all.

“So how’d it go?” Frisk inquired, snapping Carter from their thoughts.

With another heavy sigh, Carter withdrew the concealed pack of cigarettes in their pocket and hastily lit one up with shaky hands.

“About as well as you imagine it did.”

Carter was sure that Frisk had heard the dean’s bat-like screeching and reprimanding from behind their dormitory door.

(Carter was sure Frisk had heard a lot of things about them, things that any ordinary person couldn’t possibly __know__ , their every move played out as if it were some sort of act-)

Not that it particularly mattered, since Frisk was present for a good majority of the fights that occurred.

That was because all of the fights that followed essentially revolved around Frisk. It seemed that Frisk, despite having been praised by monsterkind, was not too particularly popular among humans, both in and out of school. With each person that approached with ill intent, be it a walking college trope or an anti-monster advocate, Carter walked away with bruised knuckles and a cheeky grin.

Carter always threw the first punch.

(All it takes is one time.)

“Dean Brimhall and I have known each other for a while.” Frisk shimmied beside their roommate, speaking slowly and softly.

“She can be kind of… overbearing, sometimes. But I think she doesn’t know how else to show she cares. So don’t let it get you down, it means that she really-”

“Do you think I’m a bad person?”

Carter could see Frisk freeze in the corner of their eye.

“... What?”

“You said it yourself,” Frisk’s apathetic roommate said bluntly with an empty-sounding voice, their hollow eyes gazing solemnly out the window and down to the empty yard below. “People who spend a lot of time around monsters can kind of get a feel for other people, right? So, what about me? Do you think I’m a bad person?”

There was a long moment of silence between the two. Carter wasn’t sure they wanted to hear Frisk speak anymore. Frisk’s silence was enough.

“... Carter, I don’t-”

“Heh. Never mind. It was a silly question. You obviously do. Who doesn’t, right?”

Carter suddenly stood up straighter, flicking the lit cigarette out the window before aggressively stomping towards Frisk with new resolve. Frisk was about a foot taller than them, but Carter still held their ground, approaching them with a predatory glint in their eye.

“You know _exactly_ what I am, don’t you?”

Frisk seemed taken aback by the statement, to which Carter grimaced.

_Caught._

“Yeah. Yeah you do, don’t try to fuckin’ hide it. I see the show you’ve been puttin’ on. And both of us know that us bein’ chummy like this wouldn’t last forever. So before this gets ugly, why don’t you go ahead and tell me who you’ve been-”

“I know you’re a good person.”

Carter paused for a brief moment. They blinked and then let out a loud laugh, still gazing up at the ambassador with a challenging glare.

“Really? Wow, you don’t know me at all, do you!? You don’t know what I’ve done! Do you honestly think that I-”

“Stop it!” Frisk suddenly exclaimed, catching the shorter teen off guard and causing them to violently flinch away. Frisk's eyes were blazing with determination, a resolute obstinacy, a stubbornness that Carter could feel from where they were standing, like heat from a hungry fire.

Frisk towered over them and prodded Carter’s chest with a firm finger.

“I know you’ve done bad things, okay!? We all have! And I know you’ve been through some awful shit, but that doesn’t make you awful! I know you’ve got a short temper, and that you’re a trigger-happy, lazy, angry, borderline suicidal maniac! But you know what else?”

Carter could feel their stone facade crumble as Frisk pressed on.

“I know that you’re my friend. I know that you care about me, even if you only know how to show it by beating up the people who pick on me all the time. I know that my parents saw something special in you when they saw your work, and I know that you’re smarter than most of the kids here! And I know, without a doubt in my mind, that you’re not a bad person.”

Frisk grasped Carter’s shoulders and shook them back into reality, emphasizing every word.

“You’re. _Not._  A bad person. Anyone who thinks otherwise obviously hasn’t spent enough time around monsters. I can’t stand seeing you berate yourself like this all the time! I can’t stand seeing you pretend to be something you’re not, Carter. It’s not fair to you. A-and being your friend, when I try to help you see past it and you refuse, it’s not fair to me.”

It was at this point Carter had completely withdrawn themselves, their eyes glossed over and their breath caught in the vice-like grip of their constricted chest. All the things they wanted to say seemed to be trapped in their throat, too terrified to crawl out into the open air between them.

Seeing this, Frisk pulled them into a tight hug, urging the words to flee from their steadily deteriorating prison.

 

“You… you know what I am… don’t you…?”

 

“Yeah I do, ya big dummy.

 

 _You’re my friend_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we gon meet the monsters soooon  
> comment plz


	3. Besties

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “So I’m gonna ask you one more time: what makes you so damn special?”  
> What on earth was Carter supposed to say to that? What was that supposed to mean?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> gotta write gotta write gotta write you dumb dumb dummy

“Remind me why I’m letting you drag me to this stupid movie thing again?”

Carter asked it in more of a snappy tone than they would have liked, but neglected to say anything else afterward to clarify or change its intention. Being genuinely curious, maybe the asshole-ish tone would encourage Frisk to give them an actual answer this time, rather than some eerily mysterious/foreboding comment. Fat chance, since it seemed like that was all Frisk was capable of replying with. But it was worth a shot.

Carter briefly paused in the middle of the busy sidewalk to take in the scenery and to nervously readjust the vivid red scarf that Frisk had let them borrow just for this occasion. Monsters and humans of all shapes and sizes were crowding the walkways; some were waltzing and smiling casually with their friends by their sides, others were hurriedly scurrying past the former with cellphones pressed to their ears and sweating pinballs. Frisk had once told Carter that Ebott wasn’t even the biggest city they’ve been to during their many political endeavors as ambassador, and that Ebott was actually one of the calmer ones, to which Carter hastily shook their head in equal parts surprise and disapproval.  
This was the first time they and Frisk would be leaving their dorm room and exploring the city together. In fact, this would be the first time Carter would be leaving the school premises at all since first arriving. Frisk had lived in Ebott for most of their life, so it would only make sense that they knew the bustling city like the back of their hand.

Carter, on the other hand in the most literal sense, had been actively avoiding the exploration of Ebott for as long as they’ve been enrolled here. Although they were sure their pursuers didn’t have allies reaching this far out, they wanted to play it safe for as long as possible, at least until they were positive that they were out of harm’s reach.

Frisk’s carefree and charismatic response flung them out of their stupor.

“Because you said you’d let me drag you anywhere as long as I bought you food.” Frisk passively responded, slowing down so that their short, starry-eyed companion could catch up. “We had this discussion literally two minutes ago, Carter. I told you that you should’ve eaten lunch before we left, but _nooo_ -”

“Not what I meant.” Carter huffed into the scarf. “You _know_ what I meant, smartass.”

“I actually don’t know what you’re talking about, no. Crazy right? That’s a first. Usually, I know everything,” Frisk remarked smugly, grasping Carter’s sweaty hand and tugging them along at a faster pace (had it been anyone else trying to do so, Carter thought to themselves bitterly, there would be no longer be a hand to hold onto).

“It’s…” Carter began hesitantly. “Well, it’s usually it’s just us two hangin’ out on the weekends. And if you have other plans or whatever, you go by yourself. So uh, why are you so insistent that I come along now? Why the sudden _change_?”

“Oof. You say that word like it’s some kind of disease.”

“It’s an epidemic, Frisk.”

Carter couldn’t help but to smile as they heard Frisk’s light chuckle at their shitty joke, aimlessly wondering to themselves if it was genuine or if they just laughed along to make them feel better about their godawful humor.

“Fine, fine.” Frisk mused. “If you must know, my aunts asked me to have you come with. They really want to meet you. So does my mom, but that’ll have to wait until classes are off next week so I can kidnap you properly.”

“Makes sense, yeah.”

“Haven’t had the time to tell my uncles yet, which is probably for the best, but I still have to introduce you to so many monsters! Haha, you’re pretty much a celebrity-”

“Wow cool haha hey better question for ya though, why are you telling the whole world about me?” Carter inquired hastily, the sharpness of their tone intentional this time.

They certainly didn’t want to come off as ungrateful, since it wasn’t every day someone was talking about them in a positive light. But lying low was their top priority right now, and whenever Frisk mentioned that they’d been talking about Carter with somebody they knew, it sent shivers of fear and unease down their spine. After all, Frisk __was__  the ambassador, even if they were on a temporary hiatus or what have you. So that meant many well-known and important humans and monsters alike were bound to know of Carter’s presence. It was unnerving to have so many people know them, to say the least.

Frisk, who was by now used to how short and snappy Carter could be when they wanted to, merely shrugged and shot their roommate a confused glance.

“Uhh, heheh, because you’re my best friend? I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I don’t have a lot of those. They’d flip if I didn’t tell them about you. And they all can’t wait to meet you. Seriously, you’re all they ever ask me about all the time. They wanna meet my bestie!”

“Never say that word again or I’ll jump into oncoming traffic.”

“Also, I’m pretty sure they want to meet who they’re paying for classes for.”

“Hmm. Welp. I already told you, they’re not gonna like me.”

“Nah, they’re gonna adore you.”

“Whatever you say,” Carter tried to say matter-of-factly with a pleased smile slyly tugging at their lips.

The brief moment of genuine happiness didn’t last, unfortunately. They never do.

The two were walking past one of the many food stands haphazardly thrown together across the wide sidewalks, its monster inhabitant boredly switching through the radio stations in high hopes of finding one playing music to work to, when Carter first heard it.

**“-another hearing from the same group of mages, they claim it would be in the best interest of humanity to reseal the monsters back beneath the mountain indefinitely-”**

**“-a statement from the local church came out yesterday warns that the presence of monsters is actually encouraging your children to practice witchcraft! More on that at seven-”**

**“-so supposedly Sal, mages are less dangerous than monsters, since in a sense they’re part human. But I tell ya, if they’re wanting to put those things back in the ground, I’d love nothing more than to see them go, too!-”**

**“-and if the proposed bill passes, the usage of magic in a public space - be it monster or mage, for whatever reason - will be punishable by up to 25 years in prison-”**

“This always happens when I disappear for a while.”

Frisk's calm and collected voice snapped Carter out of their thoughts. The two of them had stopped walking at this point, much to the dismay of the impatient and incredibly cunty passerbys. They’d been briefly ensnared by the miscellaneous segments of chatter and fear-mongering they were eavesdropping on, though the monster briskly flicking through the channels looked utterly unfazed by it. 

“Things kind of go haywire if I’m not constantly on the news,” Frisk said with a disheartened expression. “I think people try to tell themselves that I’m not the ambassador anymore, and that they can undo everything we’ve worked so hard to build.”

They gently tugged on Carter’s now slightly shaking hand and urged them to walk alongside them as they continued, now nearing the theatre entrance.

“But when things start getting too out of hand, I step in. Make an address here or there. Remind people that we’re not going anywhere-”

“’Ey! Yer that kid who bought all them monsters up here, yeh?”

Speak of the devil.

The sound of hostility and ill intent rang clearly through Carter’s ears. They’d grown accustomed to summarizing people by the tone of their voice, for their own safety, and for the safety of the person speaking.

This screechy voice in particular looked like it belonged to a middle-aged redneck-looking fuck, whose patchy gray jeans were slathered in mud, and he reeked of booze and gasoline. His baseball cap was on askew, and the pathetic excuse of what Carter thought was supposed to be facial hair made him look homeless.

The way he puffed his chest out and visibly clenched his teeth was enough to ring the sirens in Carter’s head.

Not that Carter needed to fret their pretty little head over it.

Because Frisk had rehearsed this enough times to know how it would go down.

_They’d stopped in front of the movie plaza for a reason, after all. What good was a show without an audience?_

“Uh… I’m sorry, I think you’ve got the wrong person.”

“Nah, yer definitely him. Lemme ask ya somethin’.”

“Look, we have to get going-”

“Nu-uh. Ya can leave when I says ya can. Yer done dancin around us human folk, an’ yer gun’ start answerin our questions. Do ya really care more about them there things that crawled up out of the ground than yer own kind?”

“I-”

“They’s stealin our jobs, scarin’ our kids, takin’ our women-”

_Here. Here is where Carter would step in-_

“You got a fuckin’ problem, meathead?”

_Like clockwork._

Carter was in between the two in an instant, firmly pushing Frisk back and glaring daggers up at the tall, lanky man with a firm and unforgiving gaze.

“Well, I’ll be damned,” The man scoffed. “Can’t hold civilized conversation with ya monster fuckers fer nothin, huh?”

“Better a monster fucker than a sister fucker, you booze-blooded, doo-hickey prick.” The shorter student spat without batting an eye.

 _There was a fire enveloping Carter’s soul_ that _any monster could sense from a mile away. Frisk could sense it the first time they met, and it certainly explained a lot about them. A bold and unapologetic orange hue that Frisk knew Undyne would be able to notice, regardless of the circumstances. This image fresh in the fish monster’s mind had to change the timeline down the road, Frisk was sure of it. A short, pathetically small human, with absolute disregard to their chances of success or failure, throwing all caution to the wind, using themselves as a shield with no hesitation and no signs of backing down-_

 “Now leave us alone, before I rearrange what’s left of your teeth, you good for nothing pile of trailer trash-”

 _And this was where Frisk would pull them off_ , _because this man couldn’t follow them in to do what he was planning to do. Any longer and Carter would have thrown a punch. And then he would have unsheathed his concealed knife, and Carter would be dead on the ground, and among the bloodcurdling screams of the terrified civilians, Undyne would say that she should have intervened, that she shouldn’t have let this happen, that she wished she would have been able to get to know that brave soul better-_

“Carter! Let’s just go!” Frisk frantically urged, winding their arms around their feisty companion and all but dragging them into the safety of the movie plaza.

_It wasn’t the first time Carter was hurt or killed defending Frisk. Well, it wasn’t the first time Carter died doing something outright stupid, either._

Frisk refused to let go until they were almost front of the snack counter and far enough from the entrance, much to the surprise of the startled onlookers.

One of which was a very confused fish monster, who was gawking at Carter as if they’d grown another head.

“Did you enjoy the show?” Carter rasped sarcastically as they tugged themself free from Frisk’s grasp.

The monster that had been gawking at Carter (for the last several minutes, Frisk knew) finally snapped out of it, replacing her awe-struck expression with a borderline terrifying toothy grin.

“Oooh, I like this one! Feisty little guy, ain’t ya!?”

She was an amphibious monster, from what Carter could tell, with thin fins flaring from the sides of her face, her thick red hair pulled back into a messy bun. Her dark blue complexion made her vibrant yellow eyes seem to glow, and her scales glistened beneath the glaring movie theatre lights.

A couple of seconds passed before Carter realized that the only reason they could describe this in such vivid detail was because the fish monster was now mere inches away from them, leaning over with her hands on her hips. They were sure that she was sizing them up, just as they were.

“Get outta my face,” They grumbled in response, pushing themselves away from the overbearing fish monster.

Instead of taking the hint, the fish monster guffawed and wound their arm around Carter’s shoulder, moving too quickly for them to properly dodge it. She had to lean down to noogie them properly, seeing as they were roughly double their height, aggressively rubbing the top of Carter’s head with such ferocity their hat almost came flying off.

“Heheh, yeah, we’ll get along just fine. The name’s Undyne, pipsqueak! I’m glad I finally get to meet the infamous Carter! Man, Frisk doesn’t ever shut up about you!”

“I’m aware.” Carter shot a stern look towards Frisk as they readjusted their cap.

“Hey Undyne, where’s Alphys?” Frisk said quickly in a desperate attempt to change the subject.

Undyne pointed at the cinema doors behind her, not tearing her eyes off of Carter for a second. Which was beginning to make them feel vaguely uncomfortable.

“She’s saving our spots in the theater. The previews won’t start for another ten minutes though. Did you two wanna grab some snacks or something?”

Frisk thrust a handful of crumpled bills into Carter’s hands and briskly started to walk away at a breakneck pace, their voice dwindling as they got farther and farther into the open movie theatre.

“Actually I’m gonna go sit with Alphys! Carter, I just want a Starfait, thanks! You two should chat and become besties while I’m gone okay bye!”

Frisk was out of sight in a matter of seconds, leaving Carter standing alone with the monster who introduced herself as Undyne.

And Frisk had used that stupid word again, too. _Besties_. Yuck.

With a monster who obviously had no understanding of personal space and was openly staring at Carter any given chance they got? No thanks.

“So... Are they always this bad at being sly?” Carter attempted making conversation.

“Mhmm. They get it from their uncle.”

“Oh… cool...”

Carter was never one for conversation.

A brief period of awkward silence hung over the two, and it certainly would have made it less awkward if Undyne would stop staring at them.

At this point, rather than leaving Carter feeling uncomfortable, the impromptu staring competition was just starting to piss them off. Already riled up from their run-in with Farmer Fuckboy outside, Carter was far too happy to address it head-on.

“Problem?” They demanded, their own gaze now unwavering.

Undyne didn’t seem taken aback by it. If anything, she seemed satisfied, as though she were waiting for that exact reaction in the first place, which just angered Carter even more.

But before they could pull out all the stops and tell this monster just how they felt about being gawked at for minutes on end with a creature who didn’t need to blink, Undyne beat them to it.

“Let’s just cut to the chase.”

And in the blink of an eye, Carter’s feet were no longer on the ground.

“Hey! What the-?”

“Who the hell are you!?” Undyne demanded with a menacing scowl, holding them up to her face so close that Carter could smell the instant noodles in her breath.

Carter couldn’t very well beat this monster’s ass while they were dangling three feet off the floor, but they’ll be damned if they made Undyne think she had any control in this situation.

“Wow, you forgot my name already? I put on a show for you and everything.” They said sweetly. A flicker of recognition danced across Undyne’s face. Perhaps Carter wasn’t the first person she tried and failed to intimidate today. Maybe she had a track record for interrogating random strangers.

“Listen, punk!” She growled, shaking Carter a little bit for emphasis. “Tori and Fluffybuns are the ones making it possible for you to stay in Ebott, and they’re hellbent on keepin’ ya around. But why? What’s so special about you, huh?”

“Fluffybuns? Wait, what the fuck kinda name-”

“I read your writing myself. So has Alphys - hell, every monster in Ebott has by now.”

The sushi insult that Carter had ready died in their throat as the blood drained from their face.

That’s… that’s exactly what Carter had been afraid of.

Suddenly, the room felt a lot smaller than it really was, and an itch crept up their spine as they wrangled with their instincts.

They don’t know. They couldn’t possibly know.

“- and the only humans I’ve had the displeasure of meeting who knew so much about magic were Dusters or mages! And neither of them bode well with me, understand?”

“I… I don’t...” Carter stammered.

“So I’m gonna ask you one more time: what makes you so _damn_ special?”

What on earth was Carter supposed to say to that? What was that supposed to mean?

“Undyne!? P-put them down! People are s-staring!?”

That was a new voice. The new voice had a good point. They’d gathered an audience by now, Carter had no doubt about that. Quite frankly, they just didn’t care. This monster met them not ten minutes ago, and think that it was okay to play a little interrogating game with them, just because they were friends with a relative? They scoffed.

“If you care so fucking much, why don’t you go and ask them yourself, Ursula!? And let me know what they say, because I’d sure as hell like to know, too! Frisk is my only friend in this godforsaken dumpster fire of a city, and I’ll be damned if you or any other motherfucker tries to take that much away from me! Now you got three seconds to put me the fuck down or I’m going to _piss in your gills_.”

Something Carter said there had to have worked in their favor, because the predatory glint in Undyne’s eye all but vanished, and her vicious expression gradually ebbed away.

Almost gently, Carter was set back on the floor. That didn’t stop them from tearing themselves away and glowering at them like they’d been doing before, though. Because Carter still had the upper hand, really.

“What the hell, Undyne?” Frisk huffed, running up behind a shorter reptilian-esque monster and resting their head on her shoulders to catch their breath. Apparently, Frisk realized their mistake in trusting the two of them not to kill each other.

“Relax, guys! We’re besties now. Aren’t we, pipsqueak?” Undyne roughly nudged Carter in the ribs, hard enough to knock them off balance. And had Frisk not shot them that desperate, pleading look, Carter wouldn’t have dropped the punch they were preparing to throw.

At the end of the day, Carter had to live up to their own word. Frisk was the only good thing to happen to them in awhile. Carter had to at least try and be civil with their abrasive and overbearing relatives. They owed Frisk and their parents that much, really, and they couldn’t afford to be getting into as much trouble as they did back then. Especially if Undyne wasn’t bluffing and they were a lot more well-known than they’d anticipated.

And if keeping Frisk happy meant enduring pushy fish monsters and reigning in their innate desire to attack anyone who so much as looked at them the wrong way… Well, Carter was just gonna have to learn.

“Yeah. _Besties _.__ ” They grimaced, glaring daggers through Frisk as they signed thank you repeatedly from beside the yellow monster. Frisk then took the yellow monster’s hand and tugged her back down the hallway, saying in an almost hushed town of voice, “See Alphys? They’re both fine. Undyne’s just doing an Undyne thing, let’s go back and save our spots, alright?”

“... Wow… you really are friends with that nerd, huh? Like, best buds and everything?” Undyne stated, crossing her arms and looking at Carter with a softer expression this time.

“Yeah? I’m putting up with your bullshit, aren’t I? You’re lucky you’re their aunt, otherwise I’d fillet you or some shit.”

Carter was expecting a glare, or a punch, or a comment along the lines of, __“_ That’s kind of racist and it’s also an outward threat so I’m actually going to call the cops on you” _.__  So it really caught them off guard when Undyne threw her head back and let out another round of boisterous laughter, like it was the funniest thing she’d heard all day.

“Hot damn! You don’t cut corners for nothing, do you!?”

Carter… didn’t actually know what that meant, and didn’t know how to properly respond. So instead they resorted to a lazy shrug.

“But seriously. Carter.”

That tone of voice was friendly, so again, they were thrown for a loop when - for the third time that night, mind you - Undyne disturbed their personal space bubble with a voice so low only they could hear it.

“If you ever, _ever_  hurt Firsk, you’re gonna be the one trapped underground for eternity.”

And just like that, Undyne’s threatening stance and intimidating glare vanished, as if she’d never been looming and sneering over Carter in the first place.

“Now c’mon, pipsqueak! We’re gonna miss the previews!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanna ffffuckign d i e lol  
> Over protective aunts unite  
> But yeah anyways kudos and comments remind me that people actually read my work so if you like it let me know so i dont let it die like i did to every one of my marapets thanks


End file.
